Room with movable bed for railway sleeping cars or the like



Feb. 17, 1953 w 'r 2,628,366

ROOM WITH MOVABLE BED FOR RAILWAY SLEEPING CARS OR THE LIKE v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 15 1948 2 uvwzzvrox. Michael Waiter Ma. W

ATTORNEY Feb. 17, 1953 M. WA'TI'TLER ROOM WITH MOVABLE BED FOR RAILWAY SLEEPING CARS OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 15, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR MLcFmel Waf ker ATTORNEY Feb; 17, 1953 M. WATTER ROOM WITH MOVABLE BED FOR RAILWAY SLEEPING CARS OR THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Shgstf 3 Filed Sept. 15, 1948 INVENTOR- M'Ldqael Wat ter ATTOkNEY Feb. 17, 1953 Filed Sept. 15, 1948 M. -W,ATTER ROOM WITH MOVABLE BED FOR RAILWAY SLEEPING CARS OR THE LIKE '4'Sheets-Sheet 4 gmiiy/i/ y EUE=" INVENTOR. Mich ad Waiter Ma. M

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 17, 1953 ROOM WITH MOVABLE BED FOR RAILWAY SLEEPING CARS OR THE LIKE Michael Watter, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application-September 15, 1948, Serial No. 49,398

4 Claims.

The invention relates to room arrangements for sleeping cars or the 'like and particularly to the bed supporting and operating means in such rooms as can .be readily converted from sitting rooms to sleeping rooms.

It is a principal object of the invention to simplify the bed supporting and operating means and the means for holding the bed in its stowed and use positions and. to provide such supporting and operating, means which can be readily operated to move the bed between the use and stowed positions and be readily locked in thesepositions. Other andfur'ther objects and advantages and the manner in which they'are attained will become evident from'thefollowing detailed description whenread in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings, which are largely diagrammatic, I I

Figure 1 is asectional plan view through a portion of a railway car equipped withrooms with which the invention is shown associated, the section being taken substantially on the line of Fig. 2; I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the portion of the car shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1; I

Figure 3 is an isometric view on an enlarged scale with parts broken away showing a room similar to one of the upper rooms shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing the invention applied to the movable bed therein, the bed being shown in the stowed position; I I

Figure 4 is anenlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view through the upper portion of a railway car equipped with the invention, showing the bed in stowed position in full lines and in use position in 'dot-and-dash lines; I

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement of the flexible means constraining the oppositeends of the bed to move together at the same rate;

Figure. dis a diagrammatic view, parts being broken away, of the bed latching means in the stowed position of the bed;

. Figure 7 is a detail sectional View through the latch and keeper and-associated parts shown in Fig. 6, the section-being taken along the line of Fig.6;

Figure 8 is a detail plan view of the latch and keeper and associated partsfbroke'n away or in section, when the bed is locked in use position; Figure 9 is a detail sectional view through the latch and keeper of Fig."8,"the section being Figure 12 is an enlarged detailsectional view through the pivoted end of a bed-supporting arm showing the grooved sheave or pulley'and associated parts secured thereto.

In the drawings the invention has been shown applied to the upper rooms of a room arrangement generally similar to that disclosed in copending application, Serial No. 24,034, filed April 29, 1948, in the names of Carolus L. Eksergian and Michael Watter and entitled Sleeping Car with superposed Rooms, now Patent No. 2,548,293, April 10, 1951, .but it will be understood that this is merely by way'of illustration, and that the novel features of the invention may be used in other relations.

In the arrangement shown, Figs. 1 and 2, the car'body side walls are designated l0 and H, the floor l2, the roof I3, and the walls flanking the center aisle I l and I5. The rooms are arranged in longitudinal series on both sides of the center aisle. Each series is composed of vertically superposed airs of rooms A-B and C-'D,'the pairs being defined longitudinally by the transverse partitions lfiand I1 andll and I8. 'The vertically superposed rooms-A-'-B and (3-D are reversely arranged with respect to the common separating wall I! andare divided by a generally horizontally extending stepped wall or partition l9 into a standing height section, a sitting height section and a less than sitting height section. Each stepped wallcomprisjes an upper generally horizontally extending portion 20 extendingv inwardly from atransverse wall 16 or l8, an intermediate horizontally extending portion 2| and a lower generally horizontally extending portion 22. The upper. and intermediate portions 20 and 2| are interconnected by a generally vertically extending portion 23, while the intermediate portion 2| and lower portion 22 are interconnected byagenerally verticallyextending portion 24.

Each of the rooms is equipped with'a movable bed, those in the lower rooms being generally designated 25, and those in thejupper rooms, 26, the beds being movable from stowed to use positions. When moved to the use position, as shown at the bottom right of Fig. 1 and the right of Fig. 2, the beds extend substantially the full length of the rooms'between the transvers walls lfiand ll or I! and [8. In the lower rooms B and D, chairs 2! are provided, which may be folded andswung to an out-of-the-way stowed position whenthe room is made up as a bedroom, as shown at the right of Fig. 2.

y In the upper rooms A and -C,'seats'28 .and seat backs 29 are disposed on the'intermedia'tehoriwhenthe rooms are convertedintobedrooms-as shown atthe right of Fig.2. I r 7 As clearly shown in Fig. '1, the beds are of less through doors and doorways inth wallslii and I8. Similarly, the upper rooms A and C are rendered intercommunicating through doorways and doors, as 3|. As shown in Fig, '1, the doorway is shown open at the top and closed at the,

bottom of the figure.

The lower rooms each have a doorway and door 32 adjacent their ends communicating with the aisle, and to provide-headroom at this doorway location, the separating partition portion 20 is formed-along the aisle wall with a raised portion34.

The upper rooms A and C have doorways and doors as 35, communicating with the aisle, these being arranged a suilicient distance from the separating wall 11 to provide space for a combinedtoilet, wash basin and cabinet, designated generally by 3fi,'between' the'doorway' and the transverse partitionl'i and adjacent the aisle wall IS. *The vertical portion 24 ofjthe separating partition [9 is 'ofiset at 31 adjacent the aisle, to provide ready access to the room from the aisle doorway 35.

As shown in'Figs. 1 and 2, the bed 28in the upper room is movable between a horizontal use a position adjacent the side wall H, as shown at the right, and a raised position adjacent the roof or ceiling I3 and extending adjacent and over a portion 01" the aisle, as indicated in full lines at the left or" Fig. 2 and in dot-and-dash lines at the left of Fig. l.

Since theinvention has to do primarily with the manner of supporting and guiding the bed 26 in the upper rooms A or C between its use and stowed positions and the manner in which it is secured in either position, this arrangement will now be described .in detail by reference to the remaining figures of the drawing.

In Figs.3 and 4, the'bed' ZE'is shown in the raised stowed position in full lines, and 'in Fig. 4

in the lowered use positionin dot-gand-dash lines.

'The bed frame, 'imlicated at 38, is carried, through pivotal'connections 39 at its opposite ends disposed substantially on the central longitudinalvertical plan and above the center of gravity thereofso as to support the bed in' substantially balanced relation', bya pair of arms 40,40. The opposite ends of these arms have a pivotal connection, designated generally by 4| Men the respective transverse walls, as 16 and I1, adjacentthe-aislewall l5.'

This pivotalconnection isshown in detail .in Fig.' 12, the arm being shown slightly spaced from the adjacent, wall, as {1, by a bracket spacer 42 rigidly secured to the wall and into which bracket is screwed ,th'eheaded pivot bolt 43 passing through a hole in the arm 40.

The arms 40, 40- are positively constrained to move together so that both ends of the bed move at the same rate to v avoid cocking of the bed in its movement, Since the axis of the pivotal connection 4|, 4! of the arms to the parallel .transverse walls lfiajnd I! isverticallybelowthetop of the 'doorway to." the aisle .and thus intersects the doprway,fit,is.not feasibleto rigidly terconnectf the armsgal'ong'the lin'e' ofthisj p v otalfconnection because; such connection would more or-le'ss obstruct the doorway 'openingftothel aisle. To providethe; necessary. constraint to cause the arms (Figsltg 'andb), tolmove to se henme nvent ntoyidesa cable and pulley 'io nect on' et iin 's in h ch the terconnecting cable passes above the doorway opening. In the form illustrated, each arm 40 carries, coaxially with the pivotal mounting at 43, a doublefgrooved pulley 45. Cables 44 and 44 interconnect these pulleys, the cable 44 being securedat one endin one of the grooves of a pulley 45, and running from this groove around guide pulleys '46'and 41. secured to the aisle wall, and being, secured at, its opposite end in one of the grooves of the pulley 45 secured to the other arm 40, The cable 44' interconnects the pulleys 45 of the respective arms 40 through the other grooves of the pulleys 45 insimilan fashion, thearrangemerit being such thatj'oln'e' of the. cable's144, 4,4? s unwoundfrom a givenf'puney '45 -while;thej;other. cable "44, 4.4 is wound 1'1 ,.jab,o11t thiS'fsa'm DUI-f 18y. V

To provide a counterbalance forithe bed. sho arms 48 are secured to, 't epivoted' ends oi. the respective arms 40 on ,the' side'thereof opposite the grooved pulley 45,,thefsa'me'bolts that, secure the pulley alsofsecuring theis'hortarm, Eigill. The arm 40 'terminatesshort,of gonejsi'de o'Lthe; periphery of the pulley 4 5 --a,nd the end of the short arm as associated therewith, andbetween' this projecting portion of the pulley andthe, ad jacent end of thelafm-AB isypivoted. afsti-ap 4.3. through a pivot boltj.5,i l.. Spacing and'i'eiiifcfiro n' washers 49' are provided ..on opposite side lof tlie end of the strapthrough which thebolt50' passes. The strap 49 has its lower end secured to a comterbalance spring 5|, theppposite end-of which is secured to a suitableflxe'd abutmentmot shown.

The bed ZBitSelf, since it'fislnolinted' iris'ub stantially balanced relation f on an axis above its center of gravity on the 49, does not re quire a counterbalance, but its swingingr'riovement about the pivotal" connections '39,. 39',is, pre f erably controlled by'su'itable means. Such means will now be described.

Since the doorwayji-in the. transverse wall, I! extends upwardlly aboveat leasta portion argu path of movement of .the' bed, such control .rne ans is provided only at one endof'Qthe bed, that-ad; J'acent thewall |6.'

Such means is-shown in Figs. 3,4 and, loas comprising a downwardly and outwardlyinclined rail 52 supported in spacedrelationiromfthewall 15 as by spaced moun b o c s :53 (see Fig-ll) Near the outer 'e adjacentend of the bed frame 38 sreqv dre -lent! running on the rail. Thereller is prevented from leaving the rail by an opposed roller 55 secured beneath the underside of the rail, and supported by an arm 55' forming a unitary assembly with the mounting of ,the roller 54.. This. rail .52 and roll r .14 prevent endwise; movement ofthefbed' and positively guide it to and from the horizontal use and stowed positions,respectively, when the bed is moved betweenlthese positions,

mple locking means are rovided for locking the bed in either its stowed positionor its use position.

To this end a latchrmember; designated gen.- erally by 56, is pivotallymouiited .at..59' adjacent the inner margin of the-bedframe .33 and has its latching arm projecting. through-a slot beyond said margin. See Fig, 7.,

This latching rm. Pro ection .51 from its lower face having a hook shaped contou ys'a its side toward the latch. pivotjEQ Theside oi the ch rm, ha a .Q ia B [which camsthe latch i hen. ti enseeesfine .keener=;suid,su

projecting up from the bottom of the recess 6| Fig. 4, above the aisle into which the inner margin of the bed is received when in stowed position. When the point of the hook shaped contour 58 passes the keeper stud, the spring 63, which acts on the other arm 68 of the latch, causes the hook shaped surface 58 to lock behind the stud and secure the bed in the stowed position. A stop, such as a pair of stop pins, 64, prevent movement of the latch beyond a certain point under the action of the spring.

The latch is operated to release it by a handle 55, mounted on the bottom of the bed and projecting normally lengthwise of the bed, where it is conveniently reached by the operator, this handle being provided on its shaft 66 with a crank arm 67 connected to the inner arm 68 of the latch 56 by a compression member 63' passing through an abutment 12 fixed to the bed frame and through the spring 63. The spring reacts through one end against said abutment and through its opposite end against an abutment 13 fixed to the member 53'. With this arrangement the operator grasps the handle 65 and by the same outward push thereon, releases the latch and starts the bed from the stowed toward the use position.

The same latch 56 looks the bed in the use position by locking behind a keeper 69 secured on the raised portion 34 of the wall portion 20 alongside the use position of the bed. This keeper has a cam portion for camming back the latch as it is brought down with the bed to the use position. In the use position the latch 56 is snapped under the shoulder H of the keeper, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, to lock the bed in the use position thereof. It will be understood that the bed in use position has its one end resting on the horizontal portion 20 of the separating wall between the upper and lower rooms, and its opposite end at the same time rests on suitable supports (not shown) extending from the wall l7.

While a preferred embodiment has been herein described in detail, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sleeping car, a room defined in part by spaced parallel walls and a third wall interconnecting said parallel walls, a bed extending lengthwis'e'from one to the other of said parallel walls and movablebetween a stowed position adjacent said third wall and a use position remote therefrom, and means for supporting and guiding the bed in such movement comprising a pair of spaced arms hinged at their ends, respectively, to the opposite ends of the bed and to the room walls So that they swing downwardly and away from said third wall in moving the bed from stowed to use position, a doorway in the third wall crossing the axis of the pivotal connection of said arms to the room walls, and means operatively connected to the arms adjacent their pivotal connection to the room walls and extending from arm to arm around the doorway opening and interconnecting said arms so as to constrain them to move together,

2. In a sleeping car, a room defined in part by spaced parallel walls extending transversely of the car and an aisle wall having a doorway therein and interconnecting said transversely extending walls, a bed extending lengthwise from one to the other of said transversely extending walls and movable between a stowed position adjacent said aisle wall and a use position remote therefrom, and means for supporting and guiding the bed in such movement comprisin a pair of spaced arms, one at each end of the bed, hinged at one of their ends to the respective ends of the bed and hinged at their opposite ends to the room walls adjacent said aisle wall, the axis of said lastnamed hinged connection crossing the doorway in the aisle wall within the room, and means operatively connected to the arms adjacent their pivotal connection to the room walls and extending from arm to arm around said doorway and interconnecting said arms so as to constrain them to move together.

3. In a sleeping car, a room defined in part by spaced parallel walls and a third wall interconnecting said parallel walls and having a large opening therein, a bed movable between a stowed and a use position, and means for supporting the bed in such movement comprising a pair of arms pivotally supporting the bed and being themselves pivotally supported adjacent the third wall and on opposite sides of the opening therein, a grooved sheave mounted on each arm concentrio with its pivot, and a continuous flexible member passing around said sheaves associated with the arms and guided to pass around said opening, said flexible member constraining the arms to move together.

4. In a sleeping car, a room, a bed in said room movable between stowed and use positions, and means supporting said bed for such movement, siad means comprising arms pivotally secured to the opposite ends of the bed along the central vertical plane thereof, and having their opposite ends pivotally secured to the room structure adjacent a wall thereof, and means positively constraining the arms to move together, said means comprising a grooved sheave secured to one side of each arm concentrically with its pivot, and a continuous flexible member extending around said sheaves associated with the respective arms and guided to pass around a central portion of said wall, a short extension on each arm projecting beyond its pivotal connection and secured to the side of said arm opposite the associated sheave, and a counterbalance means including a member hinged in the space between said sheave and the short extension of the associated arm.

MICHAEL WAT'IER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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